Alyan macauley



(No Model.)

A. MACAULEY. CASH REGISTER.

No. 595,882. Patented Deo. 21,1897.

.SME

I/V/TNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVAN MAOAULEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 595,882, dated December 21, 1897.

Application filed May '7, 1897. Serial No. 635,481. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVAN MACAULEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

My invention relates to an improvement in ro cash-registers. As illustrated in the drawings, it consists of an improved means for actuating a cash-register of the type, for instance,showninthepatenttoBenton andIIess, No. 522,463, of December 31,1895. Machines I5 "of this class are built with a single cent-key, by means of which all amounts from one cent to nine cents, inclusive, are recorded; a dimekey, by means of which amounts from ten cents to ninety cents are recorded; a dollarkey, by means of which amounts from one dollar to nine dollars are recorded, &c. The machine shown in the drawings is in principal and general operation identical with that described in the patent before referred to, with the exception that in the Benton and Hess machine an amount-say seven centswould be recorded by successively depressing the cent-key seven times. To register fifty cents, the dime-key would be depressed iive times, dto.

The process of depressing one key a number of times successively t0 register an amount is too slow, and for this reason it is not popular.

The object of my invention is to apply to such a machine a bank of keys for each of the key-levers mentioned, by means of which any amount can be registered upon the machine by pressing the proper key once instead of 4o pressing the key-lever a number of times, as

has heretofore been necessary.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure I shows a machine of the class described with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a dedrive-shaft O, and the supplemental indicating-wheels D, which carry the registeringwlieels. Power is applied from the driveshaft through suitable gearing to the segment E, which transmits part'of the power to re- 55 turn the indicators B to zero position and to wind up the coiled spring l), which drives the indicators and the registering-wheels. Part of the power is also applied to return the supplemental indicating-wheels D to zero posi- 6o tion. Each supplemental indicator carries concentrically mounted on the transverse shaft d an escape-wheel CW. (Shown in broken lines in Fig. l.) A pinion b3, secured upon a sleeve Z22, meshes with the segment E, as shown. The coiled spring b at its inner end is secured'to the shaft b and its other end to the main indicator B, which is mounted upon the sleeve b2 on the transverse shaft h,whereby when the spring is wound up, which it 7o normally is, it constantly exerts a tendency to move the main indicator from normal position and the operation of returning the indicators to normal position rewinds the spring. The power exerted by the spring is transmitted through the segment to the pinion CZ and from it to the supplemental indicator D and from the supplemental indicator to the escapewheel D. The escape-wheel also acts as a registering-wheel, registering-numbers bein g 8o stamped upon the periphery of the escapewheel between the teeth in a manner now well known in the art. A number of machines like that here described are now in daily use. The key-lever F is provided with pallets f f, which cooperate with the teeth of the escape-wheel D to hold both indicators in check. The key-lever, it will be noticed, is hung upon a shaft f2, from which it will be 9o readily seen that when the front end of the key-lever is depressed the pallet f will be withdrawn and will release the escape-wheel until it is checked by the pallet f'. Then the key-lever is restored to normal position, the last-mentioned pallet will be withdrawn and the indicators will again move until checked by the pallet f, and the distance that the indicator thus moves when the key is pressed and then restored to normal position roo is just sufficient so 'that the indicator will show a number one greater than it did before. After the key-lever has been pressed far enough to give the desired indication the release-key G is then operated, which raises a flash B to expose the indication and also releases the cash-drawer if one be employed.

The machine as I have thus far described it is entirely old and well known in the art, and my invention consists of an improvement on this construction. To this end I pivot a gear II upon a transverse shaft near the forward extremity of the key-lever. Secured to and extending laterally from the gear are a series of pins h, arranged at equal distances from the center of rotation of the gear and extending toward the key-lever. Secured to and carried by the latter is a stud f4, which is preferably triangular in vertical section, as shown in Fig. l in broken lines, 'and this stud is arranged normally to rest between two of the pins, as shown. It is apparent now that if the gear be turned in either direction the pins striking the inclined sides of the stud will force the key-lever down until the pin passes `over the apex of the stud, as shown in Fig. l, when the key-lever will be restored to normal position by its actuating- `spring f3. As each succeeding pin passes over the stud the key-lever will be vibrated, as will be readily understood. Therefore to register any amount it is only necessary to turn the gear Il.

The guide or support I is suitably secured to the frame A, and sliding upon the guide and meshing with the gear is a rack I. Near one end the rack is provided with a vertical slot t' for a purpose to be presently described. Suitably pivoted near the front of the frame is the key-bar J, having the series of inclined slots j. The keys K extend through the front of the case of the' register and have pins 7o upon their inner ends. If now any key be pressed, its pin k will enter one of the slots j, meanwhile moving the key-bar backward against the force of the helical spring Z, which surrounds the plunger L between the bracket L' and the key-bar, to which the plunger is pivoted at its upper end. Upon its inner end the plunger bears a collar Z to keep it properly in position. The object of the springplunger is, of course, to return the key-bar to normal position after it has been displaced therefrom. A pin j works through the slot t in the rack I, so that the rack can remain in horizontal position regardless of the position of the 'key-bar.

The operation of my invention is as follows: If a key be pressed in, its pin 7o will strike the key-bar J and sliding into its proper slot j will force the key-bar and the rack I rearwardly, thereby turning the gear II in one direction far enough to vibrate the key-lever just half as many times as will be necessary in order to register the amount represented by the key pressed. For example, if the 7 key be pressed, the key-lever will be vibrated down and up three times and a half during the rearward movement of the key-bar. Vhen the key is released, its spring 7o throws it back to normal position, and the spring Z on the plunger L immediately forces the keybar to initial position. In doing so the rack is returned to normal position, revolving the gear I-I in a reverse direction sufficiently to vibrate the key-lever as many times more as it was vibrated when the key was pressed in. In the case mentioned where the 77 key is pressed the key -lever would be vibrated three and a half times when the key is pressed in and three and a half times when it returns to normal position, which is seven altogether, just sufficient to make the indicator display the proper number.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a ldevice of the class described the combination with the key-lever, of a gear arranged to vibrate the key-lever, a reciprocating rack normally in engagement with and arranged to drive the gear, a pivoted springpressed key-bar to which the rack is connected at one end, and a series of keys coperating with the key-bar substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described the lcombination with the pivoted key-lever, of the gear arranged when turned to vibrate the key-lever, the rack arranged to dri ve the gear, the spring-pressed key-bar having a slotted connection with the rack, and a series of keys cooperating with the key-bar substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVAN MACAULEY. lVitnesses:

WM. MCCARTHY, CLARA llnnrznn.

IOT) 

